Page 85 of Mr. Almost

Looking down, I smile at the T-shirt he gave me to sleep in last night. It smells like him. Still, that panic in my chest is growing the longer I don’t know where my kid is. I know logically she is probably safe. Especially since Mason isn’t in here with me. I’d bet they are together in the kitchen, but that doesn’t make it better.

Rushing out of bed, I head downstairs. Then I stop outside of the kitchen as I hear them talking. My chest settles.

She’s okay.

“Uncle Brantley said that hockey players are superior because they aren’t afraid to get a little dirty. He said they defend their teammates and are willing to fight for them. Aunt Chloe said that they are always playboys. Daddy, can I have a playboy when I’m older? Then they could play with me whenever I wanted them too.”

I peek around the corner when I hear Mason choke.

The scene I find is adorable. He has Ari in her own seat with a plate of eggs, pancakes, and bacon in front of her. He even got her a glass of apple juice. He has the same in front of him, except he was taking a drink of coffee when she asked her question.

His face is red, and he looks both angry and unsure of what to say.

Deciding to save him, I step into the room.

“Honey, playboys aren’t a good thing. Aunt Chloe was saying that hockey players don’t necessarily treat their girlfriends well.”

She frowns. “The one I met did. He had a wife and a daughter my age. I played with her most of the game. I think Aunt Chloe is wrong. I still wanna marry one of them.”

“I don’t think you should marry any of them, Ari girl. Boys are dumb, and they say mean things sometimes. Can we agree that we won’t think about marrying until we are at least forty?” Mason asks.

I shake my head. Poor guy. He is truly becoming a girl dad.

I start to make my own coffee as they negotiate. Itonly makes me think of the negotiation we did last night. I still don’t feel good about taking money from him, but it would help with Ari. I could get her some new clothes and buy better food for us.

Glancing back, I see that Ari is considering her father’s words.

Ari makes a decision then, nodding and saying, “Okay, but does that mean you won’t marry Mommy until she’s forty? I don’t want you to wait that long. I want you to get married, and then I can have a sister.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

Mason says, “Sister?” At the same time.

“Jeremy says that when his daddy married his second mommy that they gave him a little brother. I would love to have a sister, but I don’t want to wait a long time for one.”

I really need to move her to a new day care. This one obviously doesn’t pay attention to the kids.

Mason looks at me. “What do they allow the kids to do at this day care? You know what? I don’t want to know. We are talking about this,” he warns me before turning to Ari. “I don’t know when Mommy and I will be getting married, but when we do, we can talk about giving you a sibling.”

“Sister. I don’t think I want a brother. Boys are gross and dirty,” Ari says.

“Yet you want to marry one?” Mason asks, confused.

“Not a boy. A playboy. They didn’t look gross. They looked tough. Like men are supposed to be. Or so Uncle Eli said.”

“Your friends need to stop filling her head with that shit,” I whisper to him as I take the seat beside him, grabbing a piece of bacon from his plate.

“Trust me, we will be having a talk,” he says, handing me the entire plate.

I smile at him gratefully.

“Hey, Mommy?” Ari asks suddenly.

“Yes, baby?”

“Why aren’t you wearing pants?”

I groan.

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